He Yanzhou glanced at the harassing private messages from Guangguang Duoduo and ignored them.
[Private Chat] Guangguang Duoduo: Why is big brother ignoring me? Is there something about me that isn’t good enough? I can change!
[Private Chat] Guangguang Duoduo: By the way, big brother, I took a few new photos recently. Do you want to see them?
He Yanzhou opened his block list directly.
However, the exact second before he could drag Guangguang Duoduo into his blocked contacts, the system suddenly pinged with a message.
It was an image.
To be precise, it was a private image taken within the game. Dreamscape Whispers featured a special photography function where characters could take private, intimate photos inside their own homesteads. These photos could be set to be visible only to oneself, or restricted to specific individuals.
Evidently, Guangguang Duoduo’s photo had been set to be visible exclusively to YYYan.
In the photo, Qiao Yunguang was wearing a wig and a highly suggestive, limited-edition outfit—a semi-transparent, sheer gown with a high slit that cut almost all the way up to his waist. The character was lounging in a lazy, side-lying pose with long hair scattered around and a hazy, unfocused look in his eyes. The background was a luxurious bed covered in rose petals.
Above the photo ran a line of small text: [Guangguang Duoduo] has shared a private memento with you.
[Private Chat] Guangguang Duoduo: Does big brother like it? This is the limited-edition merchandise outfit I just drew from the gacha yesterday. I’ve only shown it to you so far~
[Private Chat] Guangguang Duoduo: If big brother is willing to carry me through games, Duoduo’s photos can get even bolder. Duoduo can look like whatever big brother wants!
He Yanzhou stared at the photo for two seconds.
Even though the other person’s photography angles and techniques were very similar to Little Peach’s, in He Yanzhou’s objective assessment, ten suggestive photos from Guangguang Duoduo couldn’t match the sheer beauty of a single one from Little Peach.
And so, with an expressionless face, he clicked [Confirm Block].
[System] You have added Guangguang Duoduo to your block list.
At that exact moment, Little Peach finished successfully looting the very last piece of battle spoils and came bouncing back in high spirits.
Recalling how puffed up with anger Little Peach had gotten the last time she brought up Guangguang Duoduo, He Yanzhou thought it was quite amusing. Wanting to tease her, he took a screenshot and sent it over.
Yan: Someone sent me this.
Qiao Yan was currently sitting cross-legged on his bed, eating potato chips while watching a funny video. Seeing the message from Yan, he opened it happily.
As a result, at very first glance, he saw Qiao Yunguang’s familiar, loathsome face and that eyesore of an outfit.
Pfft!
The crumbs in Qiao Yan’s mouth nearly sprayed everywhere.
Qiao Yunguang… he actually went out of his way to harass YYYan!
Qiao Yan’s hairs stood on end instantly. He tossed the bag of potato chips aside, his fingers flying across the screen at lightning speed.
He absolutely could not let them add each other as friends!
If He Yanzhou added Qiao Yunguang and the two started chatting, that green-tea spirit Qiao Yunguang would definitely try every trick in the book to dig out YYYan’s real-life identity. Even if He Yanzhou didn’t say anything, with Qiao Yunguang’s habit of flattering the high and trampling the low, he would undoubtedly brag about knowing the president of the He Group.
Wouldn’t He Yanzhou find out then that [Guangguang Duoduo] was actually Qiao Yunguang?
And when that time came, the two of them would recognize each other as old lovers and be all sweet and lovey-dovey, leaving Little Peach all alone to wither away in the cold wind.
How could he let that happen?
No way, absolutely not!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Ahhh daddy delete it quickly, my eyes are going blind!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: This person is a massive scammer who specializes in swindling money online. Daddy, you must ignore her! Under no circumstances should you add her as a friend!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: She definitely has bad intentions by looking for you! Daddy, please stay far away from her, okay? I’m begging you QAQ
Looking at this string of urgent messages that practically leaped off the screen, He Yanzhou raised an eyebrow slightly.
Such a massive reaction?
Originally, he had only wanted to tease Little Peach to see if she would curse the person out for being a green-tea spirit or send a few disgusted emojis like before.
He hadn’t expected Little Peach’s reaction to be this explosive. The words between the lines revealed not just disgust, but rather a kind of panic and fear.
Is she really this terrified of me interacting with others?
He recalled how Little Peach had blocked him in a fit of rage over his comment about the “poor attitude of the front desk receptionist,” only to miserably add him back and apologize later.
He recalled her clumsily picking flowers, being chased by wild boars, yet still insisting she wanted to give those flowers to him.
He recalled how, right after winning the PK match just now, she had joyfully thrown herself into his arms for a hug.
…
It seemed that to her, it really didn’t look like it was just about the money.
At the very least, within those petty schemes of hers, perhaps a portion of it truly was directed toward him as a person.
This realization made He Yanzhou’s mood turn a bit complex. He had always loathed trouble, particularly emotional entanglements. Once a transactional relationship became mixed with genuine feelings, it would completely change in nature.
Yet, Little Peach’s straightforward, clumsy display of caring didn’t actually cause him much disgust.
[Private Chat] YYYan: Understood.
[Private Chat] YYYan: Won’t add.
Seeing the reply, Qiao Yan instantly let out a massive sigh of relief, the smile returning to his face.
[Private Chat] Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Daddy is the best! Muah muah muah! ( ￣3)(ε￣ *)
[Private Chat] YYYan: Yeah. Logging off.
[Private Chat] Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Goodnight daddy, see you tomorrow!
He Yanzhou didn’t reply further, and his avatar quickly went dark.
In an excellent mood, Qiao Yan strolled around his homestead for several more laps, admiring the luxurious results of his paid microtransactions. It wasn’t until his eyelids began to fight each other that he finally shut down the device and went to sleep contentedly.
Over the next few days, Qiao Yan’s life returned to a peaceful rhythm.
During the day, he occasionally went to the pet hospital, but spent most of his time holed up in his dorm. He Yanzhou seemed to have become busier; his login times in the game were erratic, and his replies on Moyu were brief. However, his monetary transfers grew more and more generous—ranging from ten thousand to fifty thousand, and then to a hundred thousand yuan. Several chunks of pocket money quietly accumulated in Qiao Yan’s Alipay again.
With the Lunar New Year approaching, Ningcheng University’s winter break left the campus desolate and empty, with barely anyone left in the dormitory buildings. From time to time, the scattered sound of firecrackers drifted in from outside the window, making the room feel even quieter.
Qiao Yan opened a bag of potato chips, sat cross-legged on his chair, and watched a variety show. He laughed out loud a few times, but the laughter sounded a bit hollow in the vacant room.
It was right at this moment that his phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar number, with its location registered in Ningcheng.
The voice of Qiao’s father, Qiao Hongxin, came from the other side: “Qiao Yan, it’s me.”
Qiao Yan sat up straight, the relaxed expression instantly draining from his face as he pressed his lips into a tight line.
He acknowledged it, his voice completely dry: “Dad.”
“Mm,” Qiao Hongxin seemed quite satisfied that he hadn’t hung up immediately, and his tone softened a bit. “The New Year is coming up, and it’s winter break now. The school must be empty, right? Staying in a dorm isn’t a permanent solution after all, and the conditions are poor. A young man throwing a tantrum needs to have a limit.”
Qiao Yan said nothing, merely listening.
So, in Qiao Hongxin’s eyes, his being kicked out of the house, having nowhere to go, and being forced to live in a soon-to-expire rental and a school dorm was merely him “throwing a tantrum.”
Hearing his silence, Qiao Hongxin assumed his attitude had softened and continued in a reasonable, understanding tone: “Yunguang, that child, is kind-hearted. He’s always keeping you in mind, and he even remembered your birthday. He mentioned your birthday is coming up, saying there’s no reason to leave an older brother out on his own. Your mother and I also think he’s right.”
Qiao Yunguang again. Qiao Yan could practically visualize how kindly and thoughtfully Qiao Yunguang must have brought him up, as if he were a stray dog in need of charitable pity.
“And so?”
“So, come back home to spend the New Year,” Qiao Hongxin said as a matter of course, as if announcing a final decision. “Your room has been kept for you—the same one as before. Come back and stay for a few days. Once your anger dissipates, things will go back to how they should be. It’s not like the family lacks a bowl of rice to feed you.”
Listening to these casual words, Qiao Yan felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. To Qiao Hongxin, all of this was merely a farce that could be brushed aside at any moment.
He would go back, stay for a few days, and then what?
Continue watching Qiao Yunguang thrive like a fish in water in that house, while he continued to endure underhanded exclusion and constant comparison?
And then wait for Qiao Yunguang’s next “accidental” framing, only to be lightly tossed out all over again?
“Dad, do you think I can still actually go back now?”
“Why wouldn’t you be able to go back?” A note of impatience entered Qiao Hongxin’s tone, feeling that Qiao Yan was making trouble out of nothing. “Isn’t it just a small misunderstanding with Yunguang? He’s your younger brother; what’s wrong with yielding to him a little? He’s actively showing goodwill now and giving you a step down to save face, what more do you want? Do you insist on turning the household upside down?”
“A misunderstanding,” emotion finally broke into Qiao Yan’s voice. He took a deep breath. “Dad, that wasn’t a misunderstanding. He framed me, and you all refused to believe me. Now you want me to go back—in what capacity? As the fake young master of the Qiao family, or as a guest who needs to watch the real young master’s expressions just to be allowed to sit at the table and eat?”
“What nonsense are you talking!” Qiao Hongxin’s voice suddenly turned harsh. “What ‘fake young master, real young master’—are those words you should even be saying? Yunguang is my son, and so are you. Why draw lines between family members? He asked you to come back because he still regards you as an older brother. Don’t be ungrateful!”
“Dad, speak with your conscience. From the day Qiao Yunguang returned, did this house ever still have a place for me? Inside mom’s jewelry box, the jade pendant meant for me—isn’t it already hanging around Qiao Yunguang’s neck? Even when Nanny Liu cooks, she remembers that Qiao Yunguang doesn’t like cilantro, but who still remembers the flavors I’ve eaten for twenty years?”
“Do you just insist on squabbling over these things with your own brother?”
“I’m not squabbling!” Qiao Yan’s voice choked up, though he tried his hardest to control it. “I just feel like that place isn’t my home anymore. When I go back, wherever I stand makes me feel superfluous. You three are the family, and I’m like an outsider who barged in.”
At this point, the faint voice of Qiao’s mother, Wang Lanzhen, came from the background: “Yanyan, don’t overthink things. How could the home not have a place for you? Come back quickly; mom will make your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs.”
Her voice was full of contradiction—there was concern, but even more so, there was a sense of panic, as if she were anxious to appease him but didn’t know how. Even that mention of his favorite sweet and sour pork ribs sounded somewhat lacking in confidence.
Hearing Wang Lanzhen’s voice, Qiao Yan’s eyes grew hot, but his heart turned colder: “Mom, Qiao Yunguang doesn’t like sweet dishes. Sweet and sour pork ribs haven’t been made at home for a very long time, right?”
On the other end of the line, his mother seemed to choke on her words, unable to say anything for a long while.
Qiao Hongxin’s dissatisfaction reached its peak: “Look at you, remembering such trivial matters so clearly—are you just waiting to nitpick? Yunguang’s body is weak, so what’s wrong with the household diet being mindful of that? Can’t you be a little more sensible? Do you require the entire family to revolve around you before you’ll be satisfied?”
Qiao Yan slowly lowered the phone: “Dad, Mom, I won’t be coming back for the New Year. I’ll get by fine on my own. Have a good reunion as a family.”
“Qiao Yan! You—”
Beep, beep, beep—
Qiao Hongxin seemed to want to say something more, but Qiao Yan had already hung up first.
The exaggerated laughter from the variety show continued, but at this moment, it sounded incredibly piercing and ironic. Qiao Yan slowly slid down onto the cold floor, leaning his back against the edge of the bed as he curled himself up.
His cheeks were wet, but he didn’t even bother to wipe them. He hugged his knees tightly, burying his face deeply into them as his thin shoulders trembled silently.
Right at that moment, his phone screen suddenly lit up. A message from Moyu quietly surfaced on the screen.
Yan: I saw the Moyu notification. Is your birthday coming up?
Yan: Do you want any gifts?